Update: Malaysia OK's Avril Lavigne Concert, but Islamic party guarantees protests

by Jarrett Martineau | August 25, 2008 at 05:57 am

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UPDATE Aug 27: Avril may be able to perform in Kuala Lumpur, but not without a protest from Malaysia's conservative Islamic party.

Malaysia's conservative Islamic party has said it will mount protests at Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne's concert here Friday, after failing to have it banned.

The concert is an insult to Islam as the fasting month of Ramadan is due to start just a few days later, said Nasrudin Hassan of the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party PAS.

"A concert of this nature is not conducive to teach the younger generation to become good citizens, upright and competitive, but instead would weaken them morally and mentally," he said in a statement.

"If the concert organisers do not heed this warning to cancel the concert, PAS youth will order all Muslim youth to turn up and protest the concert in order to prevent it from taking place."

Reason for the rejection of the ban is now clear: apparently PAS filed their paperwork a little too late.

Malaysia's official news agency Bernama reported that the application to hold the concert was originally rejected by the government on the grounds it was submitted too late.

However, it said the cabinet last week agreed to let the concert take place on the condition that the performance was "not a bad influence, especially on the young".

PREVIOUSLY - Aug. 25 - It seems that Malaysian officials have come to their senses and agreed to allow Avril Lavigne's scheduled concert in Kuala Lumpur to go ahead. After all, it's not like she had any plans to cancel it, despite the threat of being banned from performing.

Malaysian officials have changed their minds and will permit Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne to perform a concert in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

Earlier this month, the country's Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry labelled Lavigne's show unsuitable, especially since it is scheduled to take place two days before Malaysia's independence day celebrations.

The youth wing of a fundamentalist opposition party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic party, had complained the punk-pop performer was "too sexy" for the conservative Asian nation.

On the weekend, however, the cultural officials announced they'd reversed their decision.

Muzahet Masruri, secretary general of the ministry, said on Saturday that after talking with the concert organizers, they decided Lavigne could perform.

He declined to give a specific reason, but said authorities were told the concert organizers had sold thousands of tickets and that if the concert were cancelled, it could hurt tourism.

PREVIOUSLY - Aug. 22 - Don't believe the hype? It seems Avril has no plans to cancel her upcoming concert in Malaysia, despite previous suggestions that she was to be banned from performing for being "too sexy".

It seems Avril Lavigne will sing in Malaysia after all.

Reports the show had been cancelled are untrue, Lavigne's manager, Terry McBride, said Thursday.

"We're going ahead with the concert," McBride said from Vancouver. "I think the media has made a whole lot of nonsense out of absolutely nothing and has gone on speculation and gossip."

Lavigne has a large Asian fan base and will be "respectful to the culture," he said.

But McBride refused to say whether the punk princess will change her style of dress or set list to please Malaysian officials.

Reports from the region earlier this week said that Malaysia's Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry refused to permit the Aug. 29 show in Kuala Lumpur because it was "too sexy."

Malaysia requires all performers to wear clothes without obscene or drug-related images and be covered from the chest to the knees.

Lavigne's concert plans drew opposition from hardline Islamists.

But Lavigne gave an interview with MTV on Thursday saying she plans toput on a good show.

"I've already sold 10,000 tickets there, so I will be going to put on a concert for the fans," Lavigne said.